cuts now and it cuts more in the future and most importantly it requires both chambers of congress to vote on a balanced budget amendment to the constitution. future cuts and future spending caps are all well and good, but we know that they don't hold our feet to the fire. we all know that if the federal government wants to spend money, they'll do it. they've proven that time and time again. . the budget control act recognizes we can't keep spending what we don't have which is why it requires congress to vote on a balanced budget amendment. it puts us in a position in the future for our children and for our grandchildren. it's a new promise to the american people. a promise that we are going to do better. a promise that we'll only spend what we select. president obama says he wants a

balanced approach. what we want, what the american people want is a balanced budget. the president has done plenty of telling us what he won't do. what president obama hasn't told us is what he would do. president obama in speeches, speeches aren't a plan. a plan is what we have here in front of us today. it's a good plan. could it be better? all of us on this side of the aisle believe it could be. we passed a resolution in the past about cut, cap, and balance. but that died in the senate. so today we are talking about what is going to move this country forward. what is going to set us up on a

path of sustainable spending not what we are currently living with is an addiction to -- we have a spending addiction in the united states. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. dreier: i'm happy to yield my friend from spring hill an additional 30 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 30 seconds. mr. nugent: a plan is what we have here in front of us today. it's a new way forward. and i hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle recognize that and move with us. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from new york. ms. slaughter: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield two minutes to the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. markey. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. markey: the republican party's deficit plan is very simple. one, prolong the default crisis.

two, push the nation to the very brink of economic collapse. three, repeat it all again and again until election day, 2012. the republican party cares only about political victory. they don't want compromise. they want capitulation. and if america goes into default, it will be your fault. we now have the perform of the republican party's political paradox. republicans hate government. but they have to run for office in order to make sure it doesn't work. in 1995 and 1996 the republican party shut down the federal government. in 1997 and 1998, the republicans shut down the congress over impeachment.

earlier this year they threatened to shut down the federal government again unless they got an extension of tax cuts for the very rich. and now republicans are trying to shut down the entire economy. republicans are turning americans into the laughingstock of the world. and if our nation defaults, it will devastate americans all across the country. if you have an adjustable rate mortgage, you will pay more. if you have a credit card, you will pay more. if you have a small business, you will pay more. this republican default will impose a key party tax on the entire country. it will force -- tea party tax on the entire country. it will force americans to pay billions more on their hard earned money when they least can afford it. the tea party has congressional republicans wrapped around its little finger, but it's the american people who are going to get squeezed. the republican party doesn't

care. after all it is the bush administration and congressional republicans who put us on this course in the first place. the only way -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. markey: is to resolve another massive deficit, the leadership deficit in the republican party. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. to say to my very good friend from massachusetts that as i listen to those remarks, i am really struck with the fact that our view is that we are in this together. i will say for the record we care about absolutely everything that my friend said we don't care about. we as a nation have a challenge that needs to be addressed in a bipartisan way. the measure that is before us today is one that was, and i underscore the word, was agreed to by the senate majority

leader, harry reid, and the speaker of the house, john boehner. now, i know that senator reid is not at this juncture supportive of this measure, but it's important to note that we need to bring about greater spending cuts, and i know i speak for most all of my republican colleagues when i say that this is really the beginning of a process towards reducing the size and scope and reach of government. we feel passionately about the need to expand individual initiative and opportunity in this country. and to characterize us as doing nothing but want to close down the government, being controlled by some outside group, mr. speaker, we as republicans want to work in a bipartisan way because we recognize, barack obama's the president of the united states and the democrats have control in the united states senate. that's why speaker boehner has worked diligently pursuing the

goals and the priorities that we have, at the same time recognizing that we can't get it all. no one is happy with this measure that is before us. speaker boehner is not happy with this measure before us. but he understands that we have to ensure that we don't see the nation go over the brink. and that we do in fact increase the debt ceiling. but his goal has been to get to the root cause. as we have now found out 75 times the debt ceiling has been increased since 1962. in fact i'm told that former secretary of defense donald rumsfeld is now talking about the fact that, as he's on his book tour, about the fact we have seen the increase that he had to vote on in 1962, it was a $250 billion increase in the debt ceiling at that time. it was the first of 75 increases that we have had. never before in our history,

have we, mr. speaker, focused on getting at the root cause of why it is we have to increase the debt ceiling. so i mean it was a very interesting presentation that my friend just gave, but i will tell you that i want to work with him and i want to work with democrats, other democrats, to make sure that we address this. and do it for the american people. with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from new york. ms. slaughter: i'm pleased to yield two minutes to the gentlelady from florida, ms. wasserman schultz. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for two minutes. ms. wasserman schultz: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in strong opposition to the republican default act. which represents a continued effort by our republican colleagues to hold our economy hostage while forcing an ideological agenda and jeopardizing our economy. yet again our colleagues across the aisle have put forward a

legislative proposal that would lead to crippling cuts in medicare, social security, and medicaid all while refusing to even consider ending ill-advised tax breaks for the most fortunate americans. who absorbs the total burden from these drastic cuts, mr. speaker? our seniors and working families. that's who. on a day when exxonmobil's second quarter profits soared 41%, and they earned $10 billion , it is simply unconscionable for us to ask seniors, working families, children, and middle class folks to bear the burden of our deficits when we are asking nothing, nothing of corporations, special interests, and the wealthiest few. this short-term debt limit increase measure fails to instill the necessary confidence in the american people that we have their best interests at heart. and it certainly does little to calm our creditors throughout the world. i urge my colleagues on both

sides of the aisle to join me in opposition to this reckless dead on arrival bill that the majority in the senate and the president oppose so we can find legitimate compromise with a long-term solution. mr. speaker, democrats have been sitting at the compromise table for a very long time. there is a cold, empty chair across the table from us. it is time for the republicans to warm that seat. thank you. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from new york. ms. slaughter: mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentlewoman from maine, a former member of the rules committee, ms. pingree. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. pingree: i thank my former colleague for her wonderful work and for recognizing me today and thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, about an hour ago i met with a wonderful group of religious and civic leaders from around this country. after our meeting we walked into

the capitol rotunda, they got down on their knees to pray, and at this moment they are being arrested. they were praying for those who will be hurt the hardest by the bill that we are considering today. they were praying for seniors who will face rising costs for their prescription drugs. they were praying for low-income americans who depend on heating assistance to stay warm in the winter. they were praying for working families who already struggle to make ends meet and find a way to send their kids to college. they were praying for the millions of americans who don't have high priced lobbyists to protect them. you know who can afford those lobbyists? corporations who ship jobs overseas and are protected by this bill. the big oil companies whose subsidies are projected in this bill. the millionaires and billionaires whose tax breaks are protected in this bill. -- tax breaks are protected in this bill. the women and member arrested today were standing up for

families fighting harder and harder to afford basics like groceries, heat, and health care. i urge you to vote against this rule and against this bill and enjoy -- and join them, the members of the faith and civic community who are standing up for those americans. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: i yield myself such time as i may consume. to say to my good friend from maine and former rules committee colleague that obviously we want to do everything we can to ensure that people do receive their social security checks. on july 12 the president of the united states said that if we don't see an increase in the debt ceiling take place by august 2, that he can't guarantee the social security checks will in fact go out. so, mr. speaker, it's pretty apparent that we have a proposal before us. it's a proposal that speaker boehner, shows i go back a long

time, speaker boehner, speaker boehner and senator reid worked on in good faith last weekend. senator reid is no longer supportive of this. but this is what was a bipartisan work product that came forward. to ensure that we could increase the debt ceiling. and to ensure that we would not see our nation go into default. so i would say to my friends who are advocating a vote against this, any member who does vote against this is voting for us to go into default. why? we are faced, we are faced with a very, very certain time limit. it happens ton august -- to be august 2. we just gotten word our colleagues in the other botty -- body are upon passage of this measure here in the house of representatives potentially moving to table the measure in the senate. mr. speaker, that will only slow down and undermine the opportunity for those people who have been on their knees in the great rotunda of this capitol

praying to ensure that no one's denied their social security check. that enhances the prospect of those social security checks not being delivered. so, mr. speaker, i will say that i pray that we don't go into default. i pray that our nation does not go over the edge. and i hope and pray that we are able in a bipartisan way to successfully address this issue. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from new york. ms. slaughter: i yield myself 30 seconds just to say that we know where the majority stands on social security and medicare because we heard the ryan proposal and everybody knows it in the country. those programs are to be changed from what we have. we are working really hard here to help them out. maybe what you would consider a temporary solution. i'm pleased to yield two minutes to the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two

minutes. mr. connolly: i thank the gentlelady and thank you, mr. speaker. bond rating houses have already predicted that if we have a short-term fix to the debt ceiling here in the house today, we risk the downgrading of the creditworthiness of this country. now the g.o.p. has proved itself fundamentally ill suited to govern on this issue. they were for a big deal before they were against it. they were against a short-term fix before they were for it. . and at least two walkouts from negotiations they asked for. they can't accept a yes from the united states senate, getting what they wanted in the proposal. $2.2 trillion in cuts, no revenue and a fix through 2012, providing the very certainty just in the last campaign cycle that they preached about forever. so why would they assist on this plan? a short-term fix that actually

cuts less spending? speaker boehner said, to make sure the democrats don't prevail in the senate or at the white house. it's that simple. and that cynical. it is no coincidence that the republicans chose the clip from "the town" that has ben affleck talking about, we're going to harm some people and his colleague jumps up and says, whose car are we going to use? reportedly in the republican caucus somebody jumped up and said, i'll drive the car. i'm afraid that's true. they're willing to drive a car to harm some people today, they forgot to tell their caucus that that scene is about a group of people plotting a crime and that's what it will be today. if we pass this is he ductively simple -- this simple short-term plan that will help america and hurt america's families. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, may i inquire of the chair how much

tomb is -- time is remaining on each side? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california has 6 1/2 minutes. and the gentlelady from new york has 13 1/2 minutes. mr. dreier: 13 1/2 minutes to six minutes. i think with all due respect we'll reserve the balance of our time here and allow our friends on the other side of the aisle to proceed with further speakers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from new york. ms. slaughter: mr. speaker, if it's helpful i think we only have one more request for -- no, here comes mr. waxman. anyway, let me now yield two minutes to the gentlewoman from texas, ms. jackson lee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for two minutes. ms. jackson lee: thank you, ms. slaughter, for your generosity and i want to thank the gentlewoman from maine for recounting the prayers of americans and i would ask them to continue to pray because compromise is part of the democratic way. but my friends on the other side

did not tell you correctly why we are now involved in frivolous activity on the floor. we're not raising the debt ceiling. and the reason is there are 53 senators in the other body that have signed a let that are said they're absolutely not going to vote for this draconian presentation and the reason -- and let me call the roll. the reason they're not going to vote for it, because it is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. it has no revenues along with cuts. 64% of the american people say, balance it, cuts with revenues, to invest in our nation. let me read the roll why senators are not voting. the other body is not voting. democrats recognize this is not the way to go. you will lose your medicare, pell grants will not be available for our young people, medicaid will see its in law seniors being put out of nursing homes and then we'll have social security, our safety net, being trampled on. the loss of america's savings, the dow went down 200 points

yesterday, just wait until we do it again and again and again. the american dream of buying a home will be lost and all of our mobility systems, america's railroads and airports and airlines will be jeopardized. pay our bills. and if we cannot pay our bills, mr. president, use the constitution and use the 14th amendment. if we cannot pay our bills. to my friends on the other side of the aisle, many of us have already voted for a clean debt ceiling. we're willing to do it again. but we will not suffer the idea of a one-sided government that takes away entitlement, that caps spending that is for those who are in need and balances an amendment on the backs of those who are suffering from devastating disasters like states like missouri, states like alabama, with all of the flooding. this is not the way to go. vote no on this rule and no on the underlying bill. pray for america. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, may i inquire of my friend, she has additional speakers, it appears? ms. slaughter: we have some on their way but mr. welch has arrived. mr. dreier: in light that have, mr. speaker, i'll reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. ms. slaughter: let me yield two minutes to the gentleman from vermont. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. welch: i thank the gentlelady. mr. speaker, this is a bad situation. there's two failures. one is the process by which we got here where we've abandoned a willingness to compromise when compromise is required. and second is to propose a plan that's not balanced with revenues as well as with spending cuts. i just want to go through the process. this institution is responsible for making decisions about taxing and spending. those are contentious debates, always have been, always will be. but whenever we've made progress there's been a recognition that

the republican argument that we have to watch how we spend our money has validity, that the democratic argument that we have to have fair taxes has had merit. this is a one-sided approach. there were negotiations that were promising. in may the biden group began negotiations to averdict -- began a -- began negotiations to avert a crisis. treasury moved money around to avert the august 2 deadline. june 23, the majority leader, mr. cantor, walked out because revenues were on the table. july 3, mr. -- president obama and speaker boehner meet to work out a grand bargain. it was very promising. $4 trillion in deficit reduction by combining revenues as well as cuts. president obama incidentally putting on the table things that were giving enormous heartburn to many democrats but he said, we have to compromise for the greater good. the speaker indicates on july 9 that the grand bargain is unlikely due to differences on

revenues. so he leaves. july 22, mr. boehner walks away from the debt talks saying that we can't have revenue. so now we have the bill. the bill is defective in this fundamental respect -- it is going to damage the economy. $1 trillion in cuts. increasing on a short-term basis the debt ceiling followed by $1.8 trillion that will hurt medicare, social security. this is going to be very harmful for the economy. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from new york. ms. slaughter: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield two minutes to the gentleman from tennessee, mr. cohen. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. cohen: thank you, i appreciate the time. mr. speaker, i think that the reputation of this united states house of representatives in congress is at a low ebb.

because of the fact that we have en-- haven't acted prior to this date, the fact that the reputation of the united states of america is on the line and we're being talked about in the same level as the economies of spain and greece and ireland and portugal. this should never have happened. and i'm embarrassed as i see the greatest power on earth and the country that has been the greatest power on earth through my entire life possibly diminish because of the actions of the other side in not getting this debt ceiling resolved. the rate of the united states will go down, that will cost interest rates to go up, that will cause us to lose jobs. and to extend this for just six months which is what is happening means the same theater will take place again in six months. the american public doesn't want to see it, moody's doesn't want to see it, standard & poor's doesn't want to see it, the markets don't want to see it,

the world doesn't want to see it. when i was in europe in germany they almost laughed at us and they said, you are like greece and ireland and portugal and that should not happen, it should not have happened in this country and while we're in charge. so i would ask this united states congress, mr. speaker, to have a two-year extension, enough money to lift this ceiling to where this president won't have to deal with it again and the next president can deal with it. and if it is as i hope, president obama, the republicans won't have to work to see that he's not elected because he'll be term limited so they can work at ease and if it's a republican they can even have more ease but let's be fair and let's extend this for two years. i yield back the balance of my time. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, at this time i'm very happy to yield two minutes to a hardworking member of the committee on appropriations, one of our cardinals, the gentleman from savannah, georgia, mr. kingston.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. kingston: i thank the gentleman for yielding and i must begin, mr. speaker, by asking, do you have the president's plan or perhaps do any of the democrats over there have the president's plan? i keep hearing that this plan is not a good one, it's not a compromise, hasn't been vetted. i'd like to see the president's plan. that way i can sit down with a sheet and compare the president's plan with the plan of senator reid, with the plan proposed by speaker boehner. there's nothing. nothing but silence. how long has he been president? nearly three years. he knew the debt crisis was looming out there, he knew that there would be a debate about the debt ceiling. indeed, as a senator in 2006 barack obama voted no to a debt ceiling increase citing lack of leadership. surely since that moment in 2006 he knew he would have to be dealing with the debt ceiling,

he knew medicare needed reform, he knew that social security reform, he continued the war which he campaigned against, he continued the bush tax cuts which he now cries is the whole problem, that that's why we're in this situation. it's even more appalling, mr. speaker, when you read his statement of july 12, just a few weeks ago and i quote, i cannot guarantee that those checks, speaking of social security checks, will go out on august 13 if we haven't resolved -- august 3 if we haven't resolved this issue because there may simply not be the money to do it. that's the way the president believes but he has no plan? how can he face the seniors of the united states of america? he said july 2 that he may have to -- his administration, the

presidency, which he has had for three years, the presidency which he owns, the economy which he owns -- can i have 30 more seconds? mr. dreier: happy to yield my friend an additional 0 seconds. mr. kingston: how can he -- 30 seconds. mr. kingston: how can he say to the seniors of america, i may not be able to pay you your social security and then not offer a plan? well, god bless the speaker and god bless the people who have in good faith engaged in this discussion and offered plans. indeed the republicans have already passed one plan, cut, cap and balance. the senate tabled it, refused to even vote on it. in fact, this was the same senate who rejected the president's budget 97-0. today we offer a second plan. if the democrats have a plan, let them put it on the table. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. kingston: if the senate has a plan, let us look at it so we can compare. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time.

the gentleman from new york -- the gentlewoman from new york. ms. slaughter: mr. speaker, since i have extra time and didn't give him enough in the first place, i would like to give two more minutes to the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. mcgovern. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. mcgovern: i thank the gentlelady for yielding to me. mr. speaker, i'd like to ask unanimous consent to insert into the record at this time a letter from 53 united states senators saying that they will not support the boehner default plan. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, this bill this proposal that we are debating today is dead on a-- this proposal, this bill that we're debating today is dead on arrival. we're fast approaching a deadline that we need to address and here we are debating a bill that we know is going nowhere in the united states senate. not at this time. and, mr. speaker, i would urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, enough with the theatrics. this is time for a grown-up moment, this is -- grownup moment, this is time to act like adults, to work with the senate, to work with the president, to come up with a bipartisan deal

and to get this job done. but let's understand why we are where we are. when bill clinton left office we had a balanced budget. we had surpluses. when president bush took over the republicans what happened? tax cuts mostly for pealty people that weren't paid for, a prescription drug bill that wasn't paid for, two wars that weren't paid for. you know, and we end up in this terrible debt situation. and what do my friends propose as a way to get out of it? they propose a bill that would make drastic cuts in programs that benefit the poor and the most vulnerable in our country. what they propose is eviscerating medicare and social security, they propose cutting education money so that our kids could afford to go to school, they propose balancing the budget on the backs of the middle class and the most vulnerable in country. it is wrong -- in this country. it is wrong, it is shameful, it is an outrage to bring a bill like this to the floor.

and given the fact that we know it's going nowhere, this is just politics. enough. i think the american people have had enough. they want us to get together to do our jobs and i would urge my republicans to pull this bill from the floor, get series about negotiating a real -- serious about negotiating a real deal. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: may i inquire of my good friend from rochester, the ranking minority member of the committee on rules, how many speakers she has remaining? ms. slaughter: i have no more requests for time and if the gentleman is prepared to close i will close. mr. dreier: i think it's the other way around, mr. speaker. ms. slaughter: i want to go first but i don't want to go until you're ready to close, let me put it that way. mr. dreier: right. if the gentlewoman is prepared to close then i'll reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. . ms. slaughter: this is a

terrible rule. the united states congress isn't capable of doing its job. the majority's wasting a calamitous default on our debt and they are doing so in the name of politics. the republicans' my way or the high way approach is dead wrong and i urge my colleagues to join me in opposing both this rule and the underlying bills. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, not one member of this house likes the fact that we are here today and that we are facing the issue that is before us. as we found throughout this debate, 75 times since 1962 the united states congress has been in a position where it's had to increase the debt ceiling. and here we are again today

dealing with a very unpopular increase in the debt ceiling. because it has to be done. democrat, republican alike recognizes that we can't let our nation go into default. we are the greatest nation the world has ever known, and we can't follow the trend that we have seen in europe of greece, portugal, ireland, and other countries. but, mr. speaker, we are getting close. we are getting close. the president of the united states has requested that we have an increase in the debt ceiling so our nation doesn't default. when that request was made of speaker boehner, he chose to work together in a bipartisan way recognizing that the president of the united states is a democrat, the united states senate is controlled by democrats. the united states house of representatives is controlled by republicans. the most recent message that was sent by the american people came

last november. last november we saw a net gain of 63 seats for the republican party. it had been decades and decades and decades, in fact 3/4 of a century since we had seen that kind of gain for the republican party here in the house of representatives. so, mr. speaker, the message was overwhelming. the message was, create jobs, get our economy growing, and get our fiscal house in order. and that's exactly what we are trying to do. so as we are faced with this 76th increase in the national debt since 1962, speaker boehner has said we are not going to do it as it's been done the last 75 times. we are going to insist that we bring about dramatic spending cuts. in fact, we want to see spending cuts that actually exceed the

level of the debt ceiling increase. now, it was on july 12 as we have said that president obama said, if we don't have this increase in the debt ceiling, he couldn't on august 3 guarantee that social security checks would go out. and so we have this measure before us, mr. speaker. we have heard that our colleagues in the other side of the aisle, on the other side of the rotunda are planning to simply table this measure if it passes the house of representatives. now, we all learned in school how a bill becomes a law. and we know very well that one house passes a measure and the other house is to address it. now, we saw cut, cap, and balance pass the house of representatives and our colleagues on the side of the capitol chose to table it. now the word comes that if we pass this today, that they are goes to choose to table it. this is the plan that is before us. it is a plan that was worked on in good faith by speaker boehner

and the democratic leader of the united states senate, harry reid. i know senator reid no longer supports this plan, but last weekend, he did. and i believe that we have a responsibility to step up to the plate, take action, increase the debt ceiling, but do so by addressing the long term challenges -- long-term challenges and get at the root cause of why it is we have to increase the debt ceiling. so, mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support this underlying legislation -- the rule and then the underlying legislation which will allow us to have the debt ceiling increased and ensure that our nation does not go into default. with that i yield back the balance of my time. i move the previous question. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. without objection, the previous question is ordered. the question is on the adoption of the resolution. all those in favor say aye.

all those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the resolution is adopted. ms. slaughter: i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 237, the nays are 184.

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 238. the nays are 186. the resolution is agreed to. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.

the speaker pro tempore: rule 18 the chair declares the house in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for further consideration of h.r. 2584. will the gentleman from illinois, mr. dold, kindly take the chair. the chair: the house is in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for further consideration of h.r. 2584, which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: a bill making appropriations for the department of the interior, environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year

ending september 30, 2012, and for other purposes. the chair: when the committee of the whole rose on wednesday, july 27, 2011, amendment number 13 printed in the congressional record offered by the gentleman from georgia, mr. broun, was pending. and the bill had been read through page 10 , line 8. pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, proceedings will now resume on those amendments which further proceedings were postponed in the following order. amendment by mrs. blackburn of tennessee. amendment by ms. richardson of california. first amendment by mr. lankford of oklahoma. amendment by mr. gosar of arizona. a second amendment by mr. lankford of oklahoma. amendment number 14, mr. broun of georgia. and amendment by mr. walberg of michigan. the chair will reduce to five minutes the time for any electronic vote after the first vote in this series. the unfinished business is the

request for recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from tennessee, mrs. blackburn, on which further proceedings were postponed and o on which the noes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mrs. blackburn of tennessee. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the chair: on this vote the yeas are 114. the nays are 314. the amendment is not adopted. the unfinished business is a request for a recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from california, ms. richardson, on which the further proceedings were postponed and on which the ayes prevailed by a voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. caller: amendment offered by ms. richardson of california. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for a recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of

representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the chair: on this vote the yeas are 168. the nays are 258. the amendment is not agreed to. the unfinished business is a request for a recorded vote on the first amendment offered by the gentleman from oklahoma, mr. lankford, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes prevalid by a voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. caller: first amendment offered by mr. lankford of oklahoma. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for a recorded vote will rise and be counted.

a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the chair: on this vote the yeas are 161. the nays are 263. the amendment is not agreed to. the unfinished business is the request for recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from arizona, mr. gosar, on which further proceedings were postponed and

on which the noes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. gosar of arizona. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

ask

the chair: on this vote the yeas are 130. the nays are 295. the amendment is not adopted. the unfinished business is the request for recorded vote on the second amendment offered by the gentleman from oklahoma, mr. lankford, on which the further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. lankford of oklahoma. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device.

this will be a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the chair: on this vote the yeas are 198. the nays are 227. the amendment is not adopted. the unfinished business is the request for recorded vote on amendment number 14 printed in the congressional record offered by the gentleman from georgia, mr. broun, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the

amendment. the clerk: amendment number 14, printed in the congressional record, offered by mr. broun of georgia. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for vorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the chair: on this vote the yeas are 110. the nays are 317.

the amendment is not agreed to. the unfinished business is a request for a recorded vote on amendment offered by the gentleman from michigan, mr. walberg, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. caller: amendment offered by mr. walberg of michigan. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for a recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

occasion. mr. president, today the house of representatives will vote on speaker boehner's short-term plan to raise the debt ceiling. as soon as the house completes its vote tonight or this afternoon, the senate will move to take up that message that they send to us. it will be defeated. they know that.

the american people now should understand that carly. no democrat will vote for a short-term band-aid approach that will put our economy at risk and put the nation back in the untenable suation that we are in today just a few short months from now. economists have said that a short-term arrangement holds many of the same risks as a chnical default. democrats are not willing to p our economy on the line on something like that. it's just something we cannot do for the good of the country. our economy and the financial markets desperately need stability. eaker boehner's bill does not provide either. it does not provide stability nd it

the chair: on this vote the yeas are 181. the nays are 240 with one voting present. the amendment is not agreed to. for what purpose does the gentleman from idaho rise? mr. simpson: i move that the committee do now rise. the chair: the question is on the motion that the committee rise. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed, no. the ayes have it.

the motion is adopted. accordingly, the committee rises. the speaker pro tempore: mr. chairman. the chair: mr. speaker, the committee of the whole house on the state of the union having had under consideration h.r. 2584 reports that it has come to no resolution thereon. the speaker pro tempore: the chair of the committee of the whole house on the state of the union has had under consideration h.r. 2584 and has come to no resolution thereon. for what purpose does the gentleman from connecticut rise? >> mr. speaker, thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, by the direction of the democratic caucus, i offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. caller: house resolution 377, resolved, that the following named members be and are hereby elected to the following standing committees of the house of representatives -- one, committee on armed

services -- mr. larson: i ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered as read and printed in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. without objection, the motion is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the house will be in order. members, please take your conversations from the floor. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? >> mr. speaker, first to make a point of order that the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is correct. the house is not in order. members, remove your conversations from the floor. the house will be in order.

the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: thank you very much, mr. speaker. pursuant to house resolution 375 i call up s. 627 and ask for its immediate consideration. the clerk: senate 627, an act to establish the commission on freedom of information act, processing delays. the speaker pro tempore: the amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in part a of house report 112-184, modified by the amendments printed in part b of the report, is adopted and the bill as amended is considered read. the bill shall be debatable for two hours with one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on rules, 30 minutes equally divide and controlled by the ranking minority of the committee on the ways and means and 30 minutes equally quided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member on the committee on the budget. the gentleman from california, mr. dreier, and the gentlewoman from new york, ms. slaughter,

each will control 30 minutes. the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp, the gentleman from michigan, mr. levin, the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. ryan, and the gentleman from maryland, mr. van hollen, each will control 15 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. dreier. mr. dreier: thank you very much, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume and ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks and also, mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, about a minute and a half after 3:00 p.m. on july 28, 2011. at this moment we begin the debate on one of the most crucial items that we have had or will have before us. since 1962 on 75 different occasions the united states congress has chosen to increase the debt ceiling to ensure that we paid our past obligations. it's been done 75 times without

ever having any strings atatched whatsoever. -- attached whatsoever. last november there was a very strong message sent by the american people to this institution. mr. speaker, could i ask that the house be in order? the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. members, please remove their conversations from the floor. members in the back of the chamber, please teether -- either take seats or remove your conversations from the floor. the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: thank you very much, mr. speaker. last november we all know that there was an overwhelming message that was september by the american people to washington, d.c. and that message was, number one, create jobs. get our economy back on track and in so doing rein in the dramatic increase in the size and scope and reach of government that we witnessed in the past several years. we all know in the last four

years we've had an 82% increase in nondefense discretionary spending, an 82% increase. so the message that was sent was, that has to come to an end. so speaker boehner, when asked by the president of the united states to move an increase in the debt ceiling, said that he was willing to do that. he recognized, as i believe an overwhelming majority of both democrats and republicans in this institution recognize, it is absolutely essential that we increase the debt ceiling. we've got to do everything that we can to ensure that social security checks get to those retirees. we have to make sure that the many other obligations that we have are in fact met. and on that one issue of social security we know that on july 12 the president of the united states in a speech said that if

we don't see an increase in the debt ceiling by august 2 could he not guarantee that august 3 those social security checks would go to our retirees. so, mr. speaker, what happened was speaker boehner said, we want to make sure that those social security checks get out, we want to make sure that we increase the debt so our nation doesn't default and follow the pattern of greece, portugal, ireland and other countries in the world that have gone through tremendous economic devastation. but what the speaker said is that while we are going to, in increasing the debt ceiling, meet those obligations of the past, we are not going to do it the way it's been done the last 75 times. we are going to get to the root cause of why it is that we have to increase the debt ceiling.

and that is the runaway spending that democratic and republican alike decries regularly. so the speaker said that he would increase the debt ceiling but he wanted to ensure that we cut spending in an amount that was greater than the level of the debt ceiling increase. so he began discussions, recognizing that republicans, those who won this majority last november, only control the united states house of representatives. speaker boehner does not look at the world through rose-colored glasses. he knows that the republicans don't control the united states senate and he knows that he has to work with president obama. but he does know that the last statement that was made by the american people in november of last year was, we've got to have a dramatic change in the course that we have been on.

so he began negotiating. he began discussions. he began working over the past several weeks and months to try to put together a bipartisan effort so that democrats and republicans alike could come together and ensure that those social security checks get out and the other obligations we have are met and that we do increase our debt ceiling. we've all followed and the american people are following very closely the global markets, -- closely, the global markets are following very closely the debates that are taking place here. it came to a head last weekend when we know the president of the united states has requested a 50% increase in the level of taxes to be increased from $800 billion to $1.2 trillion and the speaker of the house said that that was a nonstarter. so the speaker said that he wanted to work with the

bipartisan leadership of the united states congress, both houses of congress. and so last weekend we know that speaker boehner and majority leader, the democratic majority leader of the united states senate, harry reid, came together and fashioned by and large the measure that is before us today. i'm the first to say that harry reid no longer supports this measure. harry reid has indicated that he does not support it. we have this letter from the 53 senators, we have word that they're going to table this measure when it passes the house of representatives. but it's important, mr. speaker, for everyone to recognize that what is before us today is by and large a measure that is not what speaker boehner would write if he were doing it on his own, it's a measure that is the byproduct of bipartisan discussion and, as the speaker likes to say, the ability to find common ground.

and we are today in a position where we face in just a few days the prospect of those social security checks not going out. and, mr. speaker, that's why i don't like this measure but i'm voting for it. i'm voting for it because i want to get those social security checks out, i want to make sure the united states of america does not default and i believe that that's the responsible thing for us to do. what we have before us in the house of representatives is the closest thing, it's the closest thing to a bipartisan agreement. the measure that's over -- first of all, we know that by and large there have been no other plans put forward, but the plan that does exist, there are very few plans put forward, the plan that has been put forward by senator reid is one that does not enjoy bipartisan support and it was not put together in a bipartisan way.

this one was by and large, even though it does not have the support of senator reid any longer, it was put together with -- based on the discussions they had. so i believe that this measure is deserving of strong bipartisan support here in the house of representatives and from our colleagues in the united states senate as well. so, mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues, i urge my colleagues to, in the name of sanity and in the name of ensuring that we maintain the solvency and the strength of the greatest nation the world has ever known, that we pass this measure and that we send it to our colleagues in the united states senate so they can do the same and so that when it's placed on the desk of the president of the united states he'll have his opportunity to ensure that what he predicted as a possibility for august 3, that being the social security checks will not go out, will not happen. and with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: --

the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. mr. mcgovern: i would like to yield three minutes to the gentleman from maryland, the distinguished democratic whip, mr. hoyer. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland is recognized for three minutes. mr. hoyer: i thank the gentleman for yielding. there is no common ground here. nor was it sought. we find ourselves at an unprecedented place today. americans stand on the brink of default. it stands there, my friends, because the leadership of this house has failed to act in a timely and responsible way. this is an unprecedented status for america. an intolerable place and americans are understandably outraged at the politically-caused -- politically caused impasse that confronts us. the consequences of which for

every american and our country have been correctly characterized as catastrophic. for more than two centuries an american default has been unthinkable. the men and women who came before us in this chamber built up the full faith and credit of the united states until it became the bedrock of the world's economy. despite their differences they agreed that the honor that comes from paying our bills responsibly and on time was a moral obligation. now our nation is on the verge of breaking that trust. if america fails to pay its bills and default comes the wounds of the global economy, to jobs across this country, to our standing among nations, that wound will be entirely self-inflicted. it cannot and must not come to

that. americans have overwhelmingly called on us to come to a balanced, bipartisan solution, one that pays our bills, reduces our deficit and draws common contributions from all americans. not only the vulnerable and the unconnected but also those who have enjoyed the nation's prosperity. that is the consequence, that is the consensus of the vast majority of the people who send us here. they understand that my way or the highway is no way to govern. they understand that all of us who had a hand in accumulating our debt must share the work of paying it off. they understand that the prosperity and prestige of our country are at stake right now. and they are relying on the

ability of this body to put partisanship aside. there will in fact be bipartisan opposition to this bill. but there i predict will had be no democrat for this bill. -- but there i predict will be no democrat for this bill. i'm deeply concerned that the short-term plan of speaker boehner will put us right back, right back here on the precipice of eminent default in just a few months. casting uncertainty over the economy and leading to a job-destroying credit downgrade. each of us, ladies and gentlemen -- may i have an additional minute? mr. mcgovern: i yield the gentleman an additional one minute. mr. hoyer: each of us, ladies and gentlemen in this house, have a duty to end this impasse. let's live up to that duty by

voting down this partisan legislation. and then let's come together on a balanced, bipartisan solution to reduce our deficit and pay our bills. i suggest to my friend from california that majority leader reid has offered just such a plan. in fact, it incorporates exactly what speaker boehner suggested in his speech in new york city. let us embrace that plan. when this fails, let the senate send it to us. i will not yield at this point in time. this is a moment of great crisis for our country and for our citizens. a crisis that demands our putting aside partisanship and politics for the good of our people. we're not there yet but it is my great hope that we as a body can live up to that challenge.

our fellow citizens expect it, our duty demands it, our oath requires it. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: i say to my friend from maryland that bipartisanship has been sought and i'm seeking it right now. i hope we are in a position where we are able to enjoy bipartisan support for this and with that i yield two minutes to my very good friend from illinois, a hardworking member of the financial services committee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from illinois is recognized for two minutes. mrs. biggert: i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. speaker, there is not a single member of congress or the administration who do not know that this day was coming. washington was spending tax dollars more than ever before and the debt ceiling was caving in. the question is, how do we respond? do we protest? do we argue? or do we govern? last november the voters asked for change and that's how this

house stopped the largest tax increase in history and cut spending this year to levels not seen since 2008. today, we have the opportunity to take the next step by passing the budget control act. this is a balanced compromise that will avert a default and stop the cycle of debt that is draining our economy. it makes nearly $1 trillion in immediate cuts, more -- lays the groundwork for additional savings and a balanced budget amendment. in a perfect world, some of us would like more cuts. those on the left also want a bigger plan. or at least a big enough debt increase to carry the president beyond the next campaign. but the american people care about jobs, not politics. they want solutions that will restore confidence, credit and growth in the united states, and neither a default nor a two-year budget gimmick will

accomplish that task. this bill will. i urge my colleagues on both sides to recognize that good politics is about doing what's right for the american people. let's take this opportunity, cut spending and put america back on a sound fiscal path to prosperity. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, at this time i'd like to yield minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from connecticut, ms. delauro. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from connecticut is recognized for two minutes. ms. delauro: mr. speaker, we are five days away from a historic, unprecedented and needless default. instead of acting responsibly and in a bipartisan way to raise the debt ceiling, the republican majority continues to hold the american economy hostage to press their agenda. even though the debt ceiling was raised seven times under president bush, even though 110 current members of the majority have voted to raise the debt ceiling in the past, the majority continues its

dangerous games of brinkmanship. included in this bill is $917 billion in cuts, mostly to critical public investment, education, infrastructure, biomedical research, law enforcement, food safety, they will all be slashed. and yet these programs, which i call discretionary programs, they are only 3.1% higher than it was five years ago, less than what it was under ronald reagan and the first bush administration. it is disingenuous for this majority to continue these republican investments, critical to job creation and economic growth are the source of our deficit problem. the primary reason the deficits have grown is because revenues are lower than they have been in 60 years. 15% lower thanks to the bush tax breaks for the wealthy and because we initiated two wars on the nation's credit card. if the majority was serious

about deficit reduction they would allow for additional revenue by asking the wealthiest americans and corporate special interests to share in the sacrifice . rather than seeking to pro-- in the sacrifice, rather than seeking to protection, which this legislation does. this bill is not about deficit reduction. it's about using the threat of default to enact a radical agenda, one that will cost jobs, undermine the american economy, where middle-class families will have an opportunity for a decent retirement. in a few months they're coming back, $1.6 trillion in cuts to medicare, social security and medicaid. this one of hostage-taking is not responsible leadership. it's the wrong direction for our country. i urge my colleagues to vote against this incredible, outrageous piece of legislation, and i call on the majority to quit playing political games. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired.

the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, i say to my good friend that i believe that the majority is serious and i believe that the democrats are serious in their quest to ensure we don't default. this is their opportunity to step up to the plate and make sure that it doesn't happen. with that, mr. speaker, i'm happy to yield two minutes to my good friend from gold river, the hardworking member of the committee, mr. lungren. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. lungren: what is incredible, what is unprecedented is the amount of debt we are incurring on a daily basis and we have been for a long time. those being hostage is the children and the grandchildren and their future. and the question we have is whether or not we are going to reach a balanced approach. what did i say a balanced approach would be? a balanced approach would be when we are once again creating jobs in this economy. what those on the other side have led us to believe is that the answer to our problems is to follow the european

experience over the last 30 to 40 years. and that is to rely more on government, higher taxes with the net result of a shrinking private economy and less jobs. what is unprecedented is that we are now in the longest period of continuous unemployment that we've seen since the great depression. what is unprecedented is that if you call this a recovery, it's the most jobless recovery in the history of modern day united states. what it is is very much like what we've seen in europe over the last 30 years, and so the question before us is, do we follow the european experience with greater reliance on government, greater balance which translated means taxes when we know that not a single economist of any refute would tell us that the answer to our jobless situation is to tax those who create the jobs. that's why this is such an

important vote for us today. that is, we will show that the way to the future is the american way. the way we've done it in the past, reliance on the private sector, allowing the ingenuity, the creativity, the risk-taking, the courage of the american people to bring us back to prosperity. those on the other side, the gentlelady from new york just suggested that the way to do that is through the expansion of government programs. that's not the essence of how we create jobs. we are in an unprecedented period of time. that is true, mr. speaker. we must act in an unprecedented way and that is to follow the boehner plan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i'd like to ask unanimous consent to insert in the record a statement by robert greenstein, the president of the center on budget and policy priorities who says that -- if enacted the

boehner bill could really produce the greatest increase in poverty and hardship by any law in modern history. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcgovern: at this point i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from colorado, my colleague on the rules committee, mr. polis. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado is recognized for two minutes. mr. polis: mr. speaker, this smoke and mirror bill before us today stands to increase, yes, increase the deficit of the united states of america by over $100 billion. let me walk the speaker through the math here. this is why credit ratings matter. countries that have a.a. credit ratings, this is a group of them, pay an average interest on their sovereign debt of 3.75%. countries with a a.a.a. rating, this is a 10-year, pay 2.89%. that's 1.75%, almost 2% difference between a.a.a. and a.a. in passing the bill today which only has a six-month extension we are jeopardizing our a.a.a.

rating that will be incredibly hard to ever earn back. the addition on paying an extra two percentage points on your mortgage, two points more on your credit card debt, two points more on your car debt, in addition to that, mr. speaker, the government, the biggest borrower in the country, will pay more on the debt. in 10 years that 1.75% difference, which is just taking the average, between a.a.a. and a.a., costs over $100 billion a year in extra interest on the debt. over 10-year period, over doctor 1 trillion of additional interest paid on the federal debt. so what are we doing? cutting $915 billion and risking adding over $1 trillion in additional expenditures. this smoke and mirror effort before us today risks increasing the federal deficit at a time that we all need -- we need to decrease federal spending. we need to decrease our deficit. the last thing we need is to

set motion forward to actually up our interest rate, jeopardize our credit rating because of the short-term venture and increase the interest payments on our federal debt. i encourage my colleagues to look at these numbers and vote no on the underlying bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, i yield myself 15 seconds to just say to my friend that he's absolutely right. if we go into default, if we don't extend the debt ceiling we are in fact going to see an increase in interest rates. the fact of the matter is the ratings agencies like standard & poor's say that we not only have to increase interest rates but we have to put into place a deficit reduction plan that will pay down our debt and that's exactly what's happening. with that i'd like to yield two minutes to our hardworking colleague from the energy and commerce committee from brentwood, tennessee, mrs. blackburn. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from tennessee is recognized for two minutes. mrs. blackburn: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to offer my support for the budget control act of 2011.

what i like to cut cut, cap and balance 3.0. last week the house passed cut, cap and balance 1.0 in a bipartisan fashion. not surprisingly senator reid and his democrat colleagues in the senate failed to even allow for a vote. speaker boehner then offered cut, cap and balance 2.0 which, according to the c.b.o., failed to generate sufficient savings to a company -- accompany the debt ceiling increase. so the speaker went back to the drawing board. found more cuts and reductions. i applaud him for that. once again our house will ensure the nation will take another step by enacting legislation that cuts spending more than any increase in the debt ceiling, does not raise taxes on america's families and job creators during the time of economic hardship and ensures an up or down vote on the balanced budget amendment to the constitution. and i thank my constituents and the small business owners who have called to encourage me in this process to say, let's get

this job done. let it be known this is merely a small foundational step to ensure we put this nation on the road to fiscal help and it is historic by passing the budget control act, we will take away president barack obama's blank check. for the first time debt limit legislation will cut spending, lock in these cuts, cap future spending, does not raise taxes, assures that balanced budget amendment vote and keeps our attention on the nation's fiscal problems. house republicans are saying the buck stops here. let's get to work addressing our nation's fiscal woes and cutting the spending problem in washington, d.c. for that i urge my colleagues to vote yes on the budget control act. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i'd like to ask unanimous consent to insert in the record a recent "new york tiles" editorial entitled "the republican wreckage." >> without objection.

mr. mcgovern: at this time i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. andrews. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for two minutes. mr. andrews: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. andrews: mr. speaker, the biggest problem in this country is not that the american government is about to reach its debt ceiling. it's that too many american families have reached their debt ceiling. we have a jobs crisis in this country, and this should be our principal focus. now, somewhere in america today some decisionmakers are not getting much help with that jobs crisis. a hospital that's thinking about adding a rehab lab and adding a couple hundred jobs wonders how much medicare revenue it's going to get. this bill says, wait six months and we'll let you know. an entrepreneur who has a software company who's about to finally get off the ground is thinking about borrowing some money to hire more people, but she doesn't know what the interest rates are going to be.

this bill says, wait six months and we'll let you know. and, yes, there is a diabetic, a person who is worried about whether they should keep their house or not because their health care bills are rising and they are worried medicare won't pay as many of their diabetic bills as they are now. and we're saying, wait six months, we'll let you know. we can't wait to let you solve this had problem. the republicans should listen to their own leadership. spoke out against a short-term fix to this problem. quote, we feel very strongly that one of the reasons why we continue to see an ailing economy is that people have very little confidence, very little certainty in terms of where we are headed. i completely agree with majority leader eric cantor who said that in june. we should listen to mr. cantor's advice. we should adopt a long-term plan and put america back to work, get back to the negotiating table today.

i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, i at this time am happy to yield two minutes to our thoughtful and hardworking colleague, mr. dent. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. dent: thank you. i rise in support of the budget control act. you know, first and foremost, we, the united states house of representatives, have an obligation to govern. we have a tremendous responsibility to the american people to consider this plan that ensures our nation does not default on our nation's commitments. at the same time it places this country on a sustainable fiscal path. and let me be clear, defaulting on america's obligations to our creditors, to our seniors, disabled veterans, active military personnel, college students and many others is not an option. this bill prevents a default and it pays our bills. congress must act swiftly to deter ratings downgrade of our u.s. government. a downgrade that will affect families and small businesses

all across the country. only a sound, credible plan that places on that sustainable trajectory will threaten that downgrade, driven in part by an unprecedented spending binge by this administration which has blown up the fiscal balance sheet. you know, a previous speaker said a few moments ago that we're playing games. i can assure you, this is no game. this is serious stuff. and speaking of serious, the white house is still refusing to offer a serious specific plan in writing that we can review. in fact, in a stinging review of the administration, the director of the c.b.o. said, we don't estimate speeches. you know, the senate's dug in its heels too. it would be nice if they passed the bill. any bill. it's been 800 days since there's been a budget. it's time for them to act. and to move. to prevent this type of a fiscal calamity that many have predicted. so, again, i ask my colleagues

to support this legislation. it's a step forward, it may not be the final product but it moves this process forward. i encourage the senate to take it up. but most importantly, you know, we have a sacred duty and a solemn obligation to lead and to act and we do have that affirmative obligation to govern for the benefit of our country and for the american people. the world is watching. americans are watching. it's time for us to lead and demonstrate the american exceptionalism. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i yield two minutes to the gentleman from new york, a member of the committee on budget, mr. tong -- tonko. mr. tonko: thank you, mr. speaker, and i thank the gentleman from massachusetts for yielding. we're here today at long last to vote on the republican default plan. after 200 days without a jobs agenda, after 200 days of saying that those hardest hit by the recession should bear the burden of unbalanced cuts, after 200 days of rhetoric and walking away by republican -- away, my republican colleagues have

brought their default plan to the floor for a public debate and a vote. so what do they offer up? courageous leadership, a grand bargain? sad sadly, no. when you walk out of -- sadly, no. when you walk out of negotiations and spend more time talking to the press than to the president i'm not sure we expected more. we have before us the same tired policies that got us into this mess. cut taxes for millionaires, give kickbacks to special interests, pay for it all with cuts to the middle class and never forget the central tenants of the conservative agenda -- end medicare and privatize social security. my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will no doubt come to the floor to say that the bill explicitly protects medicare and social security from cuts. that claim is blatantly false. it's a desperate campaign speech to counter the backlash that comes when the american people read the bill, like they read the ryan budget. so i would ask my colleagues to take another careful look at the bill before us. it is only 57 pages long. there's even a summary online

through the rules committee website and after that careful examination, i would ask you ask you to come before my -- ask you to come before my constituents and promise us with a straight face that you have no intention of using this legislation to dismantle medicare and cut social security in the next 12 months. you can't. i don't support these policies and i cannot support a plan that puts us back in the same bitter, vilifying debate in january. it may be good politics but it's not good government. i'm tired of it, my constituents are tired of it, anyone who's watched the nightly news for the last six months is tired of it. washington loves to kick the can down the road, that's how we got here in the first place. this is our moment, we need a plan, not another republican manifesto. and there are better plans out there, let us vote on them, i ask my colleagues to oppose this bill and get back to work. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, at this time i'm happy to yield two minutes to our good friend and presidential candidate, the

gentleman from michigan, mr. mccotter. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized for two minutes. mr. mccotter: i thank the gentleman from california. we hear a lot of talk about plans, we hear a lot of talk about secret default plans, senate plans, the reid plan. but we've yet to hear about the president's plan. we live in a period of time where we are engaged in a struggle against economic stagnation. where 30 million people can't trade jobs because there are no better ones out there. where 14 million people are unemployed. this is a period of time where inflation is rising, real wages are declining. in short we live in a period of time in which we are being neither led nor governed. we are seeing postures, not plans.

with one exception -- the house republicans have endeavored to meet the duty that was entrusted to them by the american people which is to put forward a plan that will prevent the default of the united states and a diminishment of our economic credibility in the world. unfortunately what we get in response is not an attempt at honest, bipartisan collaboration . instead it is more political rhetoric, more partisanship, more posturing. at this point in time we have before us a plan that can work. it is not a perfect plan, people on both sides of the aisle have their qualms with it and yet it is a plan that can be helpful to the american people, that can be helpful to ensuring that our

economy does not further deteriorate, a plan that can make sure that big government no longer crushes the aspirations of the american people to grow this economy, to find employment, to secure their pursuit of happiness around the harget of home. -- harth of home and for that i will support this bill and i would urge my colleagues to do it because the american people deserve no less. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to yield one minute to the gentlewoman from california, ms. chu. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california is recognized for one minute. ms. chu: what's not safe under the boehner default plan? social security, medicaid and medicare are not safe under the boehner default plan. in just seven months it forces nearly 1.6 -- $1.6 trillion in cuts from these programs, they will be unrecognizable. jobs are not safe under the boehner default plan.

it will force two million americans to lose their jobs, putting greater strain on struggling families. our economy is not safe under the boehner default plan. this short-term deal could lead to an automatic tax increase for every american with a mortgage, car loan or credit card. it would leave a cloud of uncertainty. businesses won't invest and our economy won't groge grow. nothing is safe under the -- won't grow. nothing is safe under the boehner default plan except tax breaks for big oil companies that ship jobs overseas and the rich. we must reject this ideological approach and come together on a balanced solution that will ensure that every american will have a safe and secure future. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, may i inquire of the chair how much time is remaining on each side? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california has 12 1/4 minutes remaining. the gentleman from massachusetts has 17 minutes remaining. mr. dreier: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: i yield 1 1/2 minutes to the gentleman from virginia, mr. moran. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia is recognized for 1 1/2 minutes. mr. moran: mr. speaker, according to grover norquist who is apparently the real republican strategist, this is about ensuring that democrats will never again have the revenue to govern as democrats. but what does he mean by that? is he talking about when roosevelt rescued us from the great depression? in the 1930's? or when we saved the world for democracy in the 1940's? or when we built the middle class with the g.i. bill in the late 1940's? or when we won the race to space in the early 1960's? or when we started medicare and passed civil rights laws in the mid 1960's? or when president clinton raised taxes, balanced the budget, generated $20 million -- 20 million new jobs, cut poverty, grew the middle class, passed on projected surpluses as far as

the eye could see and enabled those at the top tax rates to take home more after tax income than in any prior time in american history? the fact is that democrats have made this nation great by investing in all our people and by raising the revenue necessary to meet our obligations and to secure our future. this is the alternative, this is about an ideology that lowers our sights, diminishes our statue and sells short our future. that's why it should be rejected, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, in light of the disparity here, i'd like to continue to reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: i'd yield one minute to the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. lynch. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized for one minute. mr. lynch: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in opposition to

the budget control act because i honestly believe that this nation is better than this bill reflects. scruft so we're clear on the difference here between -- just so we're clear on the differences here between our positions, this amendment seeks to place the overwhelming burden of this crisis on the backs of senior citizens and it forces seniors especially to make enormous sacrifices while at the same time it allows the richest americans and oil companies and hedge fund operators to escape any responsibility or sacrifice. this is not how we should be treating america's greatest generation who survived the great depression, who fought in world war ii and who made the sacrifices in their time when their country called upon them. this is not the way to treat the frail elderly or any senior who at the end of their working lives are now on a fixed income. the way we deal with this crisis will say a lot about america. i think hubert humphrey said it best he said that the true test of any society is how we treat those citizens in the dawn of life, our children, those in the twilight of life, our elderly,

and those in the shadow of their lives, our poor and disabled at the end of their lives. mr. mcgovern: i yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds. mr. lynch: thank you. i just want to say, as republicans are rallying to the ramparts to save the millionaires from suffering from any loss of a tax loophole, i take full measure of pride at where the democrats in this house are standing on this issue. i urge my colleagues to stand with seniors and vote no on this amendment. thank you, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, i mentioned last november, sent 87 new republicans to the house of representatives, one of them is the very thoughtful gentleman from indiana, mr. buechon. at this time i'd like to recognize him for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from indiana is recognized for two minutes. mr. buchanan: mr. speaker, i rise today -- burebbureb mr. speaker, i rise today for america's financial future. we're at a time when we need to make every effort to save our

nation's credit rating. the rating agencies have said that raising the debt ceiling is not enough. while i prefer the cut, cap and balance plan, the budget control act vote today and the balanced budget amendment vote tomorrow is the best remaining approach to reduce spending and help avoid a downgrade. mr. bucshon: we can reform today. however, the bill isn't perfect. i wanted more and frankly all of our constituents deserve more. the reality is our friends on the other side of the aisle won't allow it. with years of reckless spending by the federal government instead of making tough choices to address our spending problems , the other side wants to raise taxes on the american people, to finance funding washington, d.c.,'s spending spree. in addition they want us to give the president a blank check to get him through the 2012 election. well, that's not going to happen.

the united states has always maintained a a.a.a. credit rating and the threat of inaction by our colleagues in the u.s. senate and no plan offered by the administration puts that at risk. the house has and will take action. we need to send a clear message to the american people that we are willing to make the tough choices and work together on behalf of our nation's citizens. i urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill and take the first step to restoring fiscal responsibility to our nation. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i would like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from kentucky, a member of the budget committee, mr. yarmuth. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky is recognized for two minutes. mr. yarmuth: i thank my colleague. mr. speaker, congress' approval rating is up in down around 10% and given the debate on this politically induced default crisis, i have to ask myself, who are these crazy 10%? the american people are looking at this institution right now and they're asking, what on earth are you thinking?

they're sick of these games and they're sick of us. they want this default crisis reduced, resolved now, they definitely don't want to repeat it six months from now and they understand that a real solution means a real compromise. our constituents have made it clear they want shared sacrifice where millionaires, billionaires and oil companies contribute their fair share. they want their social security and medicare benefits to be protected, but this bill, the republican default agenda, does none of that. in fact, this reckless bill is actually a stealth attack on medicare and social security because it requires large cuts next year that can only cut -- come from those programs. the boehner plan would increase borrowing across local and state government and citizens, producing essentially a back door tax hike on the american people. it does damage to seniors and

the we are going to run our country in the ground, failing to respond to the crisis. the american people are demanding better. we need to defeat this bill so we can move on to a real solution. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, at this juncture i think i'll reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i yield one minute to the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. sutton. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from ohio is recognized for one minute. ms. sutton: i'm frustrated as we sit on the drink of the financial unknown people in my district are left hanging, worrying about jobs. and the bill before us fails to address the number one priority of creating jobs. instead, it puts us in the exact same position six months from now. it protects tax cuts for millionaires and big corpgs

that ship jobs overseas. it's been 200 days of this new republican-led congress and what sh we seen? we've seen targets at medicare and working families, the environment and education. we have even seen them use up time to target energy-efficient light bulbs. but what we have not seen them do is target job creation. i encourage my colleagues to vote no on this risky plan and responsibly raise our debt limit so america can pay its bills and this congress can get serious about creating good-paying jobs. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: can i inquire how much time is remaining? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california has 10 3/4 minutes remaining and the gentleman from massachusetts has 11 1/2 minutes remaining. mr. dreier: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, at this time i'd like to yield one minute to the gentleman from new mexico, mr. lujan, for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new mexico is

recognized for one minute. mr. lujan: thank you, mr. speaker. it's very clear that we have to act to prevent a default and a downgrade of our nation's credit rating. sadly, the house republican leadership's plan is not a serious plan to avoid such a downgrade. more smoke and mirrors. we heard that talked about lately. it will put us right back in the same position in a few months, requiring another vote to raise the debt limit, putting america in further area where we might be able to see the potential downgrade, costing americans $100 billion a year, $1 trillion over 10 years. a short-term increase in the debt limit has already been rejected by economists and credit rating agencies which made it clear that this plan will likely result in an unprecedented downgrade to our credit rating, leading to higher interest rates for mortgages, student loans, for all americans in addition, this reckless plan leaves the door the open -- mr. dreier: will the gentleman yield for just one second, mr. speaker? i want the gentleman to cite --

mr. lujan: mr. speaker -- mr. dreier: i'm sorry. i thought he yielded. mr. lujan: i don't believe i did yield. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new mexico controls the time. mr. lujan: how much time is left -- mr. dreier: mr. speaker, i'd like to yield the gentleman 15 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 25 seconds. mr. lujan: it leaves the door open to the same damage as the ryan's plan to attack medicare, medicaid and social security while protecting tax breaks for billionaires and corporations. mr. speaker, it's important that we talk to the american people about this and that we have this conversation. i urge my colleagues to reject the partisan gamesmanship and seek a responsible and balanced solution to this crisis and with that, mr. speaker, i think there's a little bit of time left and yield it back to the minority. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, i'd like to engage in a discussion with my friend just to ask exactly -- i'm sorry -- did the gentleman not yield to me.

i'm confused. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. the gentleman from california controls the time. mr. dreier: ok, thank you very much, mr. speaker. well, at this time i'm happy to yield to the next governor of indiana, the gentleman from columbus, mr. pence. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from indiana is recognized for two minutes. mr. pence: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman for yielding. i'd like unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pence: mr. speaker, i come to the floor to rise in support of the budget control act of 2011. which is a negotiated compromise between the speaker of the united states house of representatives and the republican and democratic leadership of the united states senate. let me say that again. the budget control act that we will bring to the floor today is a compromise. at a time when people across

america long for washington, d.c., that is able to reach across the aisle, lower the volume, solve the problem, this legislation comes to the floor. and i'm proud to support it. and the truth is it's a difficult time for people across my beloved indiana and all across this country. our economy's struggling. unemployment's at 8.3% in indiana and 9.3% nationally. and i believe that runaway federal spending by both political parties is a cause and a barrier to our economic recovery today. we simply must put our fiscal house in order. now, i know the administration wanted to simply raise the debt ceiling without conditions, but that was rejected. i think almost unanimously in the united states senate. and we rejected it as well in this body.

what needs to be done today is we need to recognize that if you owe debts, pay debts. we have to raise the nation's debt ceiling so we have the money to pay the nation's bills, but we also owe a debt to this generation of americans struggling in this economy and to the next generation of americans that we can only repay through fiscal discipline and reform. and the budget control act does that. the budget control act does two things that i believe are worth highlighting. number one, it ensures in this first installment that there will be a dollar in budget cuts for every $1 in increase and borrowing authority by the united states, and that's crucial. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, i'd like to yield my friend an additional minute. mr. pence: secondly, the agreement around the budget control act also ensures that there will be a vote in this body, now tomorrow, and a vote

in the united states senate this fall on a balanced budget amendment to the constitution of the united states. there are other aspects of this bill that are meritorious. a hard spending caps, more enforceable than spending cap of the past. the creation of a bipartisan commission to negotiate spending discipline and reforms for the next installment of a debt ceiling increase. but for my part, making sure that any increase in the debt ceiling is matched, dollar for dollar, with spending caps in this bill and for the first time in 15 years bringing a bipartisan version of the balanced budget amendment to this floor of the house and soon to the floor of the senate. a worthy note. and they should endorse this approach. this is a very serious time, mr. speaker, and i welcome the budget control act as evidence that congress can still compromise.

we can still come together across the aisle. we can find a way to pay the nation's bills and do so in a way that reflect our commitment to fiscal discipline and reform. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i'd like to yield one minute to the gentleman from colorado, a former member of the rules committee, and we miss him, mr. perlmutter. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado is recognized for one minute. mr. perlmutter: i thank the gentleman from massachusetts. and mr. speaker, i think we got to go back 10 years and talk about where we were at that time. under bill clinton this country had a surplus. revenues exceeded expenses. things were going along great. we were adding jobs by the millions. we have a republican administration. two tax cuts. couple trillion dollars lower revenue. two wars. couple trillion dollars more expense. a crash on wall street. $3 trillion in expense to this country. that's where this expense comes from. that's why we have bills to pay. we had a tough 10 years.

most of it under republican administration. we got to pay those bills, but the republican leadership has brought us to the brink of default. something the united states has had full faith in credit for 235 years and they want to bring that right to the brink of default. ladies and gentlemen, we are better than that. we have a responsibility. we can't live in turmoil. we need to rebuild the american dream for people who want to -- a shot at getting ahead in life, not a brinksmanship. this is a bad bill and must be defeated and with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: yes, mr. speaker, at this time i'd like to yield one minute to the distinguished gentleman from georgia who serves on the financial smbs committee, mr. scott. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for one minute. mr. scott: thank you very much. america, we really need to pay close attention here.

first of all, this is a terrible bill at the wrong time. here we are, the number one issue facing the american people is jobs, and this bill is a major job killer of the highest magnitude. it will average a loss of 4,000 -- 40,000 public service jobs in the public sector each month. all we have to do is look at the record from the month of june, and the month of june the private sector created 58,000 jobs, but because of massive cuts in the public sector there was a loss of 40,000 jobs each month. in addition to that, this bill will drastically end medicare. it will reduce medicaid payments to the states, and it will severely cut back the checks to our social security

recipients. by an average of $1,000 each month. now, ladies and gentlemen -- mr. dreier: i'm happy to yield my friend additional time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, i'd like to yield my friend additional time, if i might. may i yield my friend additional 30 second, and will the gentleman yield to me? mr. scott: well, since you yield 30 seconds which you've already taken my last 30 seconds. mr. dreier: well, i'll yield additional time if i need it. where in this bill can he point to where cuts in medicare are going to take place? and i thank my friend for yielding. i've gone through it. mr. scott: you know perfectly well, mr. dreier, that the announced cuts in this bill and the setting up with this commission and also your party has already set a record on a roll -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia controls the time.

mr. scott: let me go back and i want to answer your question, but it's very important, mr. speaker, that we also understand that the other dangerous part about this bill is that in six months we will be right back here again which will add greater instability to the markets and further undermine our credibility rating. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, i yield myself 15 seconds simply to say to my friend there are exemptions in this bill to ensure that social security and medicare are not touched, and we need to remember that. when it comes to this sequestration process that it's not touched. and for those who are saying that this measure will in fact bring about the cuts have not read the bill and are mischaracterizing it. mr. scott: there is nothing in this bill that exempts -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i want to yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from new jersey. mr. andrews: i want to ask the gentleman from california a question. i'd yield. is the gentleman saying the text says if the commission set

up reports back a cut in social security benefits that that may not be enacted by the commission? i yield. mr. dreier: will the gentleman yield? mr. andrews: i do. mr. dreier: i thank my friend for yielding. and let me say the sequestrations in this bill -- mr. andrews: reclaiming my time. reclaiming my time. mr. dreier: my friend said that this measure -- mr. andrews: reclaiming my time, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the house is not in order. mr. andrews: mr. speaker, reclaiming my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey's time has expired. the gentleman from new jersey's time has expired. mr. mcgovern: i yield the gentleman 30 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 30 seconds. mr. andrews: mr. speaker, i'm not talking about the sequestrations. i'm talking about the fact that this commission's instructed to find $is.8 trillion in cuts, and -- 1.8 trillion in cuts, and medicare and social security are not exempted from those cuts. mr. dreier: will the gentleman yield? mr. andrews: this is a road map, a user's guide as to how to cut social security and medicare. we reject it. i yield to my friend.

mr. dreier: i thank my friend for yielding. let me say, this is not a commission. members should not refer to this as a commission because the idea of a commission, some sort of outside entity, we're talking about our colleagues in the house and senate who will be members of the joint select committee -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. dreier: i thank my friend for yielding. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey's time has expired. mr. mcgovern: i yield 10 seconds. mr. andrews: the gentleman is correct, it's not a commission. it's a committee that is empowered to cut medicare and social security. we will not stand for it. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, may i yield myself 10 seconds to say to my friend, this is not a committee that's empowered to cut social security and medicare. it is a committee, a joint select committee that is empowered for the first time to submit to both houses of congress a recommendation that we will have an up or down vote on. with that i reserve the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: who yields time? the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: i'd yield two minutes to the gentlewoman from maryland, ms. edwards. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from maryland. ms. edwards: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in opposition to the underlying bill. this is nothing more than political posturing by the republican majority and i think it's important for the american people to understand that this majority has asked us time and time again to vote to end medicare, to cut social security , to cut medicaid and they're doing it once again. no question about it. what's being offered up by this majority is nothing short of recklessness. absolutely nothing. the speaker and the republican party know that the president and the senate are going to reject the bill. i don't even know why we're here on this floor, mr. speaker. rather than spending the last several months developing a real plan that would avoid default, the republicans have spent months stripping away health care protections, attacking the e.p.a., jeopardizing jobs, not

creating jobs and here we are once again to end medicare, social security, cut away medicaid benefits and attack the most vulnerable in our communities. i have to say, mr. speaker, if it weren't sad it would be laughable. the plan would require $2.7 trillion in deficit reduction over the next 10 years. cut $915 billion at the offset and another $1.8 trillion in december. they're coming after american social security checks, they're coming after medicare, they're coming after medicaid. that's what this majority is doing. let's not be fooled by it. it's time for the american people to stand up. the bill threatens our ability to pay our obligations. they're not interested in paying our obligations. these are debts that we've already incurred and yet they won't take the money that they've given away to the wealthiest 2% of this country.

no, they can't give up theirs. the oil and gas companies can't give up theirs. the companies that have offshored jobs can't give up theirs but they're asking the american people to sacrifice social security, medicare, education, medicaid. it's unfair and we won't stand for it. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, i yield myself 10 seconds to say to my very grood friend from maryland, she has just accurately described the measure that has been proposed by the senate majority leader, harry reid. with that i'm happy to yield a minute to my very good friend from lafayette, louisiana, a hardworking member of the ways and means committee, mr. boustany. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from louisiana. mr. boustany: thank you, mr. speaker. i think it was a gross distortion of what's being proposed here and again she -- the previous speaker just condemned the majority leader's, harry reid, the senate majority

leader's bill in the senate. that's the only democratic bill we've had. so i think it seems to me there's a little bit of a fight going on over on the other side of the aisle between their house members and senate. to my friend from new jersey, this committee that's formed is a committee of active sitting members of the house and senate. so in order for anything to be recommended by this committee, it would require in all likelihood all of the democrats to support it. mr. andrews: would the gentleman yield? mr. boustany: i yield. mr. andrews: if they wanted to close tax loopholes would they need a simple majority? mr. boustany: it would be a simple majority. a simple majority. mr. andrews: it's your position that a simple majority of both houses could raise taxes? mr. boustany: that's correct. that's what we need. we need that to force some movement -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. boustany: thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, at

this time it's my privilege to yield two minutes to the gentleman from south carolina, the distinguished assistant leader, mr. clyburn. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina for two minutes. mr. clyburn: i thank my friend for yielding to me. mr. speaker, father clock is ticking, the republican majority is dickering and the american people are hurting. our financial markets are on pace for their worst week in nearly a year. state governments are bracing for downgrades in their borrowing capacities and the gap between those in our society who have a lot and those who have very little is growing. the republican majority continues their efforts to divert attention from the self-inflicted crisis with manufactured controversies, holding the american economy hostage to their reckless and dispassionate demands. as the clock ticks toward default and the pain it would bring to middle income families and those who aspire to become

middle income, my friends on the other side continue to play politics. speaker boehner does not even pretend that this is a serious attempt to solve the problem. he sold this bill to his conference by telling them that it wasn't bipartisan and with divided government, a plan that isn't bipartisan is no plan at all. it's just a game. the president and the democrats in congress, as well as the american people, have advocated a balanced approach to reduce the deficit while growing the economy and protecting the most vulnerable, including medicare, medicaid and social security beneficiaries. and we have been willing to make tough, politically difficult compromises. this bill on the floor today, just like the bill from last week, is yet another partisan time waster.

our constituents are not interested in any of us voting to cut medicare or cap social security or balancing the budget on the backs of medicaid recipients. a six-month extension is another waste of time. we must resolve this better now and ensure the full faith and credit of the united states. let's defeat the boehner bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, i'd like to inquire of my friend how many speakers he has remaining. mr. mcgovern: i'm the final speaker. mr. dreier: i'd encourage my friend to proceed and then i'll offer -- mr. mcgovern: are you the final speaker? mr. dreier: yeah. mr. mcgovern: how much time left, mr. speaker? the speaker pro tempore: 3 1/4 for you. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i'd like to ask unanimous con sent to insert into the -- consent to insert into the record an

article about republican leaders vote for debt drivers they blame on obama. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, this bill does nothing to solve our long-term fiscal challenges because everybody here knows that this is isn't going anywhere. instead it's -- that this isn't going anywhere. instead it's a political stunt. instead it hurdles us closer and closer to a devastating default. for years presidents and congresses of both parties have raised the debt ceiling, recognizing that endangering the full faith and credit of the united states would be a grave mistake. it's amazing to me how many republicans i've heard who dismiss the potential of default as no big deal. no big deal? tell that to the family who would have to pay higher interest rates on their mortgage, their car loan, their student loan. it would be a very big deal to them. many of my friends on the other side of the aisle didn't just stand by as we created these massive deficits. they were active participants. they voted for two huge tax

cuts, mostly for wealthy people, that weren't paid for. two wars that weren't paid for. a massive prescription drug program that wasn't paid for. and now their solution is to punish the very americans who can least afford it, all in the name of keeping their rich friends and their special interests happy. the boehner plan is unbalanced and unfair. it slashes programs like social security and medicare that benefit the middle class and the poor. but the republicans insist on protecting tax breaks for oil and gas companies, just today exxon mobil announced profits of $10.7 billion for the second quarter. do they really need special tax breaks? the american people sure don't think so. poll after poll shows that the vast majority of our citizens prefer a balanced approach. yes, we need to cut spending. yes, we need to reform our government.

but everybody needs to chip in, to do their part, including the very wealthy who have benefited the most. now, there are certainly places to save. how about ending wars that aren't paid for? right now we borrow $10 billion every month for military operations in afghanistan alone to prop up a corrupt and incompetent karzai government. how about ending wasteful subsidies to big agriculture companies? how about asking billionaire hedge fund managers to pay the same tax rates as their secretaries? the truth is that the best way to deal with our long-term fiscal situation is to grow our economy. that means creating jobs and putting people back to work. the last election i thought was about jobs. we haven't talked about jobs at all since the new republican majority became -- came to power. that means investing in things like education and infrastructure and green technology and medical research. that's the kind of economic future the american people deserve.

the boehner default plan would take us exactly in the wrong direction and urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reject it. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california has 5 1/2 minutes remaining. the gentleman is recognized. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, as i listen to my friend from the other side of the aisle, mr. mcgovern, talk about what has caused the problem that we're in right now, he failed to mention the failed stimulus bill, he failed to mention the failed health care bill, both horribly expensive. but i think it's important for us to look at the facts on one of the items that he mentioned. they continue, mr. speaker, to engage in this class warfare, us versus them, the multibillionaires, the -- all this sort of stuff, over and over and over again. we happen to recognize that we're all in this together and there should be shared sacrifice. i think that's why it's important for us to look at the facts. let's look at the facts here. as we continue to hear people decry the so-called bush tax cuts, which as we all know are

no longer bush tax cuts, they are the bush-obama tax cuts, they became that last december when president obama supported the extension of them, let's look at what happened with the 2003 growth-oriented tax cuts. in 2003, mr. speaker, the federal government had $1,782 ,000,000 in revenues. that was in 2003 before the growth-oriented tax cuts went into effect. mr. speaker, in 2007 the federal government had a 44% increase in the flow of revenues to the federal treasury by virtue of those 2003 tax cuts. they went from $1,782 ,000,000,000 to $2,567,000,000,000. that's a $785 billion increase in the flow of revenues to the

federal treasury after the now bush-obama tax cuts were put into place. so this mularkey about the notion of those who are successful are not paying their fair share of taxes is absolutely preposterous. i want to take the time that i have remaining to shatter a few myths that are out there. first of all, we know right now that we're facing a crisis. both democrat and republican alike in these remarks have made it clear that we're facing a crisis. i have yet to hear anyone, i think maybe the minority whip mentioned the reid plan, all anyone's done on the other side of the aisle is malign the boehner plan. and mischaracterize it, quite frankly, mr. speaker. but i think it's important to look at what it is that we face. we know that the president of the united states said that if we don't increase the debt ceiling by august 2, on august 3 he does not know whether or not the social security checks will actually go out. well, mr. speaker, we all want to make sure that the social security checks go out.

this is going to be our one opportunity to vote for a measure that will ensure that we increase the debt ceiling, so that those checks will go out, and for the first time in the 75 times that the debt ceiling has been increased since 1962 we're going to get to the root cause of the problem. in the past four years we've had an 82% increase, an 82% increase in nondefense discretionary spending. and guess what? the american people last november said, that has to come to an end. and you know what? it's going to come to an end when we pass this measure. i also want to say that we know that the threat of default is out there and if we don't take actions we know that our credit rating will be downgraded. we know that that will happen. all of the rating agencies have predicted that. they've also said that simply increasing the debt ceiling is not adequate, we need to make sure that we get ourselves on a path that reduces the debt and

reduces our deficits. well, mr. speaker, what we need to do is we need to recognize also that those agencies have said, these proposals are that path. there was a report that s&p 500 had said that we in fact, if we didn't have $4 trillion in cuts which i frankly wish we could, but in light of the fact that this is a bipartisan effort we're not going to get that high, but they said that if we didn't have $4 trillion in reductions that we would still threaten the credit rating. well, yesterday, the president of standard & poor's testified before the financial services committee and said, well, we must get on a path toward reducing the deficit and debt, it was inaccurate. it was inaccurate to say that it had to be a $4 trillion level and that's why, as my friends have been quoting these different sources i was trying to get them on record to say who in fact is saying this. . we have to increase the debt

ceiling and get ourselves on a path that will reduce the annual deficits and the gnat debt. the plan before us is far from perfect. speaker boehner doesn't like it, i don't like it, but the rest of us recognize that we have a democratic president and a democratic united states senate. if we are going to increase the debt and are going for the first time, first time ever ever change the course on the issue of debt ceiling increases by cutting spending, we have to pass this measure. it grew from this bipartisan compromise last weekend. harry reid no longer supports it. i haven't heard anyone on the other side say they supported it, but it was a bipartisan compromise. let's support this measure, mr. speaker. and with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. now in order under the rule to have 30 minutes of debate controlled by the committee on ways and means. 15 minutes will be controlled by

the chairman of the committee, mr. camp of michigan and 15 minutes controlled by mr. levin from michigan. the chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp. mr. camp: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. i mr. camp: i support the act which cuts out-of-control spending and responsible and necessary plan to avoid a default on our nation's debt. as we know under president obama, we are experiencing our third straight year of deficits in excess of $1 trillion. in four years, president obama's actions and projected budgets will add more than twice to our debt than was added during the previous eight years. all told, the debt will double

under president obama's watch and reach a staggering $26 billion by 2021. double the debt in half the time when compared with the previous administration. congress must act to cut spending and get our debt under control and that's what the legislation before us does. first, the bill cuts more than $900 billion in federal spending and meets the expectations of the american people that we cut spending more than we increase the debt limit. second, the bill guarantees the house and senate will vote on a balanced budget amendment. more than half of the states have a balanced budget requirement and it's time washington's books are balanced as well. third, the bill demands reforms to the way washington works by setting up a joint house and senate committee to find at least $1.6 trillion in additional savings. its work product would enjoy expedited consideration in the house and senate and could not be filibustered.

despite what you have heard from the critics of this approach, that this is the most common way the debt limit has increased for a short duration and tied to spending reforms and history is pretty clear on this point. over the last 25 years, congress and the president have acted 31 times to increase the debt limit. 22 of those 31 times were for less than a year. only three of those, 31 increases lasted longer than two years. these debt limit increases are tied to spending reforms and preceded by short-term increases. three examples, 1987, three short-term debt limit increases prior to a longer term increase that included deficit targets and automatic sequestration provisions. 18990, there were six short-term increases before long-term increases. and in 1996, there were two very

short-term increases to ensure full funding of social security and other federal funds before a longer term increase included in the contract of america advancement act. what we are doing today is what has happened before. i would also point out that the increase in the debt limit and the binding process to achieve spending reform in washington is exactly what the financial markets need and expect from us. time is short and this bill may be our last, best chance to prevent a default. if we fail to act and the government defaults on its debt, the financial and economic shock waves that will ripple across this country are unpredictable and unimaginable. i want to say a few words about what is not in this bill and that is tax increases. while the president insists that tax increases be part of any debt limit, he failed to convince his own party. in december of last year when democrats controlled both the house and the senate, congress

refused to raise taxes and now even senator reid's own plan to increase the debt limit which the president has thrown his support behind, does not include tax increases. given the need to get our fiscal house in order for the future, we must pass the budget control act and i urge a yes vote on this bill and i reserve. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from michigan, mr. levin, is recognized. mr. levin: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. levin: as i have been listening to this debate, i think it's critical that the house needs some truth in speaking. this bill is not bipartisan. the vote will soon show that. this bill is not a compromise.

it is not a compromise. it does not seek bipartisan common ground. indeed, it is orchestrated onlt to find enough common ground among house republican partisans. this bill does not reflect compromise. it would compromise indeed medicare and social security. it forces massive cuts consistent with the ideological republican budget that was unanimously opposed by democrats. this bill does not promote certainty for our nation's economy. instead, it brings more un certainty for families facing major financial decisions, for businesses deciding whether to invest or hire, for markets unsure when the next shoe might drop. this bill is not balanced.

instead, it embraces the republicans' one mantra just expressed by the chairman of our committee. no end to unjustified tax loopholes or tax breaks for the very wealthiest even as so many middle class families have been losing ground. in a few words, our nation's economy and jobs are too much to risk on a bill that is a bridge to no where between our two houses. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp. mr. camp: i yield 1 1/2 minutes to the gentleman from california, mr. herger. the chair: the gentleman from california, mr. herger, 90 seconds. mr. herger: we must act now to enact critical spending reforms.

while the white house has refused to offer a plan, the budget control act would accomplish this goal. will it solve all of our economic problems? no. but instead of discussing how much more washington will spend, we're now talking about reducing our spending and how to live within our means, just like all americans must do. for example, budget control act would cut nearly $1 trillion in spending over the next 10 years, establish firm spending caps and require the senate to vote on a balanced budget amendment. i urge the senate and the president to stop playing politics and support this bill. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from michigan, mr. levin.

mr. levin: i yield two minutes to another member of our committee, mr. neal of massachusetts. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts, two minutes. mr. neal: thank you, mr. levin for yielding. this argument today is not about new spending. the argument today is paying our bills. this is the credit card that has come due for the irresponsibility that we witnessed in this chamber and across this congress for eight years of the bush administration. two wars and $2.3 trillion worth of tax cuts, a prescription d medicare drug bill that came due . the president's chief economic adviser at the time said it was going to cost $300 billion in iraq. they fired him. dick cheney said $60 billion in iraq and in and out in six to eight months. 10 years later, we are in iraq. we have created 2.2 million new

veterans. they are going to need our care for years to come in our health centers, for the v.a. it's going to be expensive. paul wolfowitz, in and out of iraq in a few months, a few billion dollars. the bill, our friends, has come due. we cannot send a message to markets anywhere that the full faith and credit of the united states of america is at risk. in the aftermath of world war ii, when finances were strained as never before, president truman had the vision not only pay off the debt of world war ii, but to embrace the marshall plan, one of the greatest achievements in history. think of what mr. lincoln might have said during the midst of a civil war, america's worst moment, that america would forfeit expenditures as the bill

has come due. mr. jefferson and mr. hamilton met in new york with one of the most fateful decisions in american history, to accept the debt of the states, which moved us away from the articles of the confederation to a constitutional system. and now, at this moment, a political party in our history that always embraced fiscal responsibility, the bill has come due and it's our obligation to pay it. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp. mr. camp: i yield two minutes to a distinguished member of the ways and means committee and chairman of the joint economic committee, the gentleman from texas, mr. brady. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. brady: the bill has come due. since world war ii, because congress held the puffers strings we ran the numbers. democrats have ron up 90% of the debt that is held by the public. 90% of the debt that we owe to

foreign countries, and foreign countries you and me have been run up by one side of the aisle. wouldn't it be great if the democrats joined us, but they won't. republicans will take responsibility for their mess. we are going to make sure this country pays its bills, but we are going to make sure we start cutting up the credit cards and change the financial behavior of this country and actually give our kids and grandkids a future that they can count on, that they can afford, a country that is much stronger than the one we are facing today if we don't address this health problem. you can't cut soon enough or deep enough for me. but the budget control act starts us on the right step. it cuts $2.7 trillion in two steps. we cut more than we allow to be borrowed and make sure there are no tax increases on our children, on our small businesses, on your families. we make sure there is finally a real straight up and down vote

on the constitutional amendment to balance washington's budget. we get more than half of the spending cuts in the republican budget proposed by our budget chairman, paul ryan. more than half of those cuts are put in place because of this bill. it doesn't solve the problems of america. but i tell you what, if you vote this bill down, all we have done is write a blank check to the president. we have given everyone a free ride in washington until next election and they will not be held accountable. no one in congress, for getting our financial house in order. this bill is the first step and right step and where we need to move forward. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from michigan, mr. levin. mr. levin: i yield two minutes to mr. doggett of texas. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas two minutes. mr. doggett: my neighbors in texas are saying, work together

to resolve this crisis without jeopardizing medicare and social security. adopt a balanced approach that balances the budget by closing some tax loopholes at the same time we cut spending. but agreing has not been possible so far when so many of our house colleagues pride themselves in big disagreeable. instead of protecting the full faith and credit of these united states in the same manner as our republican colleagues voted to do seven times, proposing it with george bush, today's bill really represents little more than a ransome note who are using this critical issue to hold our country hostage. . they demand we jeopardize the security for the very young with educational opportunities and for the old with social security and medicare.

their ransom demands do not share the sacrifice but they sure do spread the pain. to the young, to the old, to those who are trying to climb up the economic ladder or just not slide backwards. they talk about tightening the belt. the only belt they're really tightening is right around the neck of those hostages that they've taken. i believe now is the time to stand firm for those families and to affirm that america will always pay our bills by rejecting this bill and then moving forward with more reasonable legislation. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp. mr. camp: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i yield one minute to a distinguished member of the ways and means committee, the gentleman from louisiana, dr. boustany. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from louisiana. mr. boustany: thank you, mr. speaker. we've heard a lot of talk about the past and how we got here. the american people get it. we have debt. serious debt. a threat to our national security and a threat to our economic prosperity.

and a default, putting the full faith and credit of the united states on the line, would make that worse. this house has passed cut, cap and balance. we stood up to our responsibility and passed a bill. now we've got a second bill because it didn't get through the senate. we have a second bill brought forward consist went our principles. we're going to cut more than we're going to borrow. we're going to cap spending with real statutory caps and we're going to ensure that there will be a vote on a balanced budget amendment in both houses. that's what the american people want. they're demanding it. this is a solid first step to getting that debt under control. we need to move forward now. let me be clear, this house must act now. the time is running out. the senate must act on this bill and the president must sign it. let's uphold our responsibility. we have a responsibility to the american people. let's uphold our responsibility and do what's right for the country. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan, mr.

levin. mr. levin: could i inquire of our time, please? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan has 9 1/2 minutes and mr. camp has seven. mr. levin: it's my pleasure to yield two minutes to another distinguished member of our committee, mr. blumenauer of oregon. the speaker pro tempore: for? for how long? mr. levin: two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. i didn't hear. mr. blumenauer: mr. speaker, this proposal that is brought for us today can be characterized by three words. reckless, hypocritical and abusive. it's reckless because for the first time in history we're having people play an elaborate game of fiscal checken -- chicken, threatening the full faith and credit of the united states for their own ideological agenda. 102 times we have increased the debt limit since 1917, seven times for george bush, even though he was fighting unfunded wars and proposing massive tax cuts. people are already paying the price right now as we're starting to see stock markets slide, premiums are increased

for ensuring our debt and there's doubt about where we're going forward. it is hypocritical because the republicans have refused to actually back up some of the fanciful rhetoric in their cut, cap and balance amendment that would require massive cuts to budgets. earlier this week one of the friends from the republican study committee had the temerity to offer an amendment to the bill that's being debated this week on appropriations for interior and e.p.a. that would have been 11%. and what did the republicans do when faced with a bill that would actually make them impose the cuts that they envision? they ran away from it. 104 of them voted with responsible democrats saying, we're not going to go that way. but they don't want to go that way, they're not stepping up and actually doing the cutting, they want to do it far in the future.

and, lafment, it's abusive. we have a divided government. the american public want a balanced solution. they welcome tax reform and modest closing of loopholes to be able to avoid massive cuts in the future and be able to get on a path to fiscal responsibility. but the republican minority has decided, no, it's our way or the highway, even if it means threatening our fiscal future. reject this sham. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp. mr. camp: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i yield two minutes to a distinguished member of the ways and means committee, the gentleman from florida, mr. buchanan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. mr. buchanan: mr. speaker, we need to cut spending today and reduce the deficit. and avoid the dangerous prospects of putting america for the first time in default. the bill before us today will accomplish that without raising taxes on the american people. with unemployment being what it

is today in terms of looking at small businesses, it will not raise taxes on small businesses who are the job providers either. i support the budget control act because the time is now for congress and the president to do what's in the best interest of the american people. our economy is struggling. our current national debt is over $14 trillion and we're adding $4.5 billion a day to our deficit and debt. $188 -- let me break that down, $188 million per hour to our deficits and debt, $4.5 billion a day. this reckless pattern of borrowing and spending has put our country on the road to bankruptcy. washington needs to show the american people that we can deal with these challenges today and in the future. i urge my colleagues to support the budget control act. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman from michigan, mr. levin. mr. levin: i yield two minutes to another distinguished member of our committee, mr. pascrell from the great state of new jersey. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey. mr. pascrell: thank you, mr. chairman. i have the greatest amount of respect for the chairman of our committee, mr. chairman. ways and means. but i think you're wrong on what you're trying to do today. do you remember may 31, mr. chairman? of this year? we took a vote may 31. in fact, we took a vote on raising the debt limit. the vote was based upon a resolution introduced in this house by the chairman of the ways and means committee. and he said when he introduced the piece of legislation on this floor that he hoped it would fail. he said, you are not going to get enough votes to get this done, so he set out to undermine his own resolution.

now j.f.k. said, i do not shrink from this responsibility, i welcome it. i welcome my responsibility today, what i have to do. i'm going to have a pleasure to vote no. because i know what's happened since may 31, a day of infamy. so i'll make it known that the bill couldn't pass so we'll release the american people to understand that. the american people don't want us to tell them what they need or what they want. they should tell us what they need and what they want. we think we know and most of the time we don't know on either side of the aisle. they're choosing to extend the state of economic and political turmoil another six months in this bill, we want to go through the holidays doing this back an forth? won't that be sweet? we'll make people think we're working. it's been over 200 days and still not one piece of job legislation from the majority on

this floor. decades of ma jorts policies -- majorities' policies exploded the deficit. the cause of just the bush tax cuts will be 40% of the federal debt by 2019. and when you add in the two wars, it will be 47%. who are we kidding here? the republican budget bill this year added $6 trillion to the national debt. i rest my case. live up to your responsibility, that's what the american people want us to do. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp. mr. camp: thank you. at this time i yield two minutes to a distinguished member of the ways and means committee, the gentleman from new york, mr. reid -- reed. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. reed: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of this bill. as a proud member of the freshmen class that came to washington, d.c., in november of 2010, i can tell you the culture of this city is changing.

when i hear my colleagues on the other side of the aisle put forth the argument that because we've raised the debt ceiling 102 times and seven times under president bush that somehow it makes it right for us to raise the debt ceiling without dealing with the problem that's causing it to exist in the first place and that is the uncontrolled spending that has gotten us to this point of $14.4 trillion of national debt. as a member of the freshmen class, we have changed the culture of this place because now the debate is happening on the floor of this house and we're going to have to -- going to take it to the senate so they take it to the ploor of the senate and for once openly and honestly debate the issues of the day. but yet they still in the senate have not heard that call. but through this process they will. we wanted more but we realized that this is just a step in the process. the battle will go on, we will

act responsibly today by passing this out of the house and cure the risk that comes from the risk of default. but don't make any mistake about it. the battle will go on and this is just the beginning. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from michigan, mr. levin. mr. levin: i now yield two minutes to another distinguished member of our committee, mr. about a shera of the great state of california. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. becerra: i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. speaker, the american people are way ahead of the politicians. they have been telling us over and over again we want a balance approach to reducing our deficits. one in five americans has said very clearly, we support the republican slash and burn default plan that we see before us that only cuts services to americans to try to help us

balance our budget. but nearly three times as many americans have been saying over and over again, we want to see a balanced approach between those cuts to very important services, a little bit of pain, but also tax increases on all those folks who have been taking advantage of those tax loopholes and making a ton of money. the american people don't think it's a good idea to cut medicare and social security and to cut medicaid, to protect tax loopholes for special interests. they've been seeing that over and over. but here's the biggest clue that our republican colleagues aren't listening to. the american people have said over and over that the biggest deficit our country faces today is a jobs deficit. after 204 days as the majority, republicans have only given us a slash and burn politics that has created not one single job for hardworking middle class families. in fact, instead of creating

jobs, their major pieces of legislation could potentially cost two million more americans to lose their jobs. and the worst thing about this whole charade is that every single person here in this room today knows that this bill that we're discussing today won't go anywhere. we face the very real possibility of an historic default in under a week and here we are spitting -- spinning our wheels. we all agree our nation must not default on its past obligations. the republican members here must abandoned their my way or the highway approach and work across the aisle on a balanced, bipartisan agreement to reduce our deficit, create jobs and protect our seniors and our middle clals. i say to my republican friends, america is not -- class. i say to my republican friends, america is not short on work ethic, we're short on jobs. it's time to get to the business of america and create those jobs. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp. mr. camp: mr. speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman reserves. the gentleman from michigan, mr. levin. mr. levin: it is now my pleasure to yield two minutes to the gentleman who is a member of our committee and the chair of our caucus. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from connecticut for two minutes. mr. larson: thank you, mr. speaker, thank you, mr. levin. at this very moment the whole world is watching in on the united states congress. it is a sad day for the united states congress. we in america, the preeminent military, economic and cultural leaders in the world are governing like we're a thirled world country -- third world country. t.s.a. sad time for this body -- it is a sad time for this body that we cannot come together. sad is the american public who looks in at this and recognizes that it's theater, except that it's become the theater of the absurd.

in a frail recovery where americans are already overburdened, what we have in front of us is a manufactured ideological crisis. 18 times the debt ceiling was raised for ronald reagan. eight times for george bush. because they would never stand in this body to see a default on the full faith and credit of the united states. as the world looks in and we default on a global economy and we default, march toward defaulting on a national economy, the most ruinous thing is that we are defaulting on household economies. what this body should be focusing on is dealing with this deficit and focusing, as mr. becerra said, on the real default that's taken place in congress, the lack of job creation, the need to put people back to work so that we can

restore the dignity that only comes when people are able to sit across their dining table and look at one another and know that they have the dignity that comes from a job. . we need not go through this hostage situation. why are we holding the american people hostage? let's put america back to work. we are a better nation and a better body than that. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp. mr. camp: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan, mr. levin, has 1 1/2 minutes. mr. levin: are you going to close? mr. camp: i'm going to close. mr. levin: i yield one minute to the the gentlelady from alabama. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from alabama. >> i am completely disappointed in our failure to work together.

our constituents sent us here to solve america's problems not create more problems for them. the constituents of the 7th congressional district of alabama september me here to make sure i better their lives, not create fear and instability. the entire world is watching us. and what are we showing them? we are showing them that we are completely detached from reality and that we don't care about their families, local governments, states and businesses and what they're facing. america's debts are serious. we all know that. we have to put our fiscal house in order. it's how we go about it. no matter how we got here, we have bills to pay and we must pay our bills. that's what we do, we pay our bill. the bill that is before us does not do that. what it does, it holds hostage america's promise, the promise that we made to students and to

seniors, for social security, medicare and medicaid. it's unfair, i ask my colleagues in this house to vote against the bill on the floor. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp, continue to reserve? mr. camp: continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan, mr. levin. mr. levin: this is an and difficult occasion of responsibility. this bill is going towhere and tries to fill the wounds of a divided republican caucus. we should do better and we will do better. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp. mr. camp: i yield myself such time as i may consume. and i have been listening to my friends on the other side for the course of this afternoon and i would just say to them, where is your plan? where is your legislation to

address the debt problems of the united states? where are your ideas in legislation that is scored by the congressional budget office so that you could bring your alternative to the floor? this isn't the direction you want to go? where is your plan? i noticed the other side, the senate, has not passed a budget in more than 800 days. frankly if they passed a budget on the other side, we might not be in this situation because we would have the avenue of reconciliation available to us. this is a second congress. the other body hasn't passed a budget. we've got no ideas from our friends from the other side how to address this issue. this is the second proposal that we have put forward that has been in legislative form, that has been scored where you can address the problems that are facing this country -- no, i will not yield.

>> regular order, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the time is controlled by the gentleman from michigan. mr. camp: we have had lots of rhetoric from the other side but no concrete plan. we have had lots of press releases from the other side, but no proposal. even the president has not articulated one spending cut after giving us three years of trillion dollar deficits, after putting us on a path to more than double the debt of this country in less than half the time of the previous administration. i would say this is the proposal that will get our country on to a fiscal path that will prevent default and address the long-term debt obligations that this nation has run up, frankly, under both parties but need to address them now because the trajectory has become much worse in recent years. this is the plan. i urge a yes vote and i ask unanimous consent that the balance of my time be yielded to

the budget committee. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection? the gentleman has two minutes remaining and without objection, it will be yielded to the chairman of the budget committee. it is now in order under the rule to have 30 minutes of debate controlled by the committee on the budget, mr. ryan of wisconsin, the chairman of the committee will control 17 minutes and mr. van hollen of maryland will control 15 minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the chair would recognize the

gentleman from wisconsin, mr. ryan. mr. ryan: mr. speaker, may i ask how much time is remaining between the two sides? the speaker pro tempore: you have 17. he has 15. mr. ryan: i would like to yield two minutes to a gentleman from oklahoma, mr. lankford, member of the budget committee. mr. lankford:. i speak in support of this bill. i came on as a freshman and in january of this year, we were already talking about this moment. and for months the conversation has been, how do we reach a point of agreement. there have been lots of ideas that have been floated around and very few put down in writing. but the ideas seem to circle around a central theme, how can we find a middle ground to be able to resolve this issue. i propose this bill is that middle ground. the debt reduction that's in it was the framework that was

formed in the biden talks. the select committee that's in it is something very important to the senate that harry reid raised that idea. the proposal to have a balanced budget amendment is very important to republicans who say let's have a moment to discuss that and the statutory caps that are coming are very important to republicans. this is a bill that has been discussed in its essence and in its core in a bipartisan fashion. and while we search for a compromise, i would suggest that we have found it and we are about to vote on it. this is a moment to be able to look at it and say it is not the draconian monster that has been described. it allows a simple way to be able to handle one of the most difficult issues that we have dealt with in a very long time. ultimately, we bump up against an issue that is significant because of this one key truth. why has this not been a problem before? why haven't we passed it and added to the debt ceiling year after year after year.

we have done that but reached $14 trillion and 100% of g.d.p. and we have to deal seriously with how do we start paying down our debt, not just our interest payments but our debt. at this moment in time, it becomes a key moment to say let's resolve the problem and deal with difficult issues and work on these together. both parties, both houses and be able to settle the issue, but do it in a form that forms long-term solutions. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from maryland, mr. van hollen. mr. van hollen: sthanching you, mr. speaker -- thank you, mr. speaker. it's high time to stop playing rush and rule et with the american economy and american jobs and that's what this will measure does. it says ok, america, we are going to pay america's bills, but only for five more months and only if we put in motion a

plan that will end the medicare guarantee and slash education. the proposal before us today will put the american economy and american jobs at even greater jeopardy over the next five months than they are today. it deliberately, by choice, keeps the economy under a cloud of instability and uncertainty. it chooses to risk higher interest rates and shrinking retirement funds, a hit on every american family. so why would we choose to intentionally keep this cloud hanging over the country and the american people? we're told that we have to do it in order to force this congress to reduce the deficit. that's what we're told. but the actions tell a very different story. the actions suggest this is not about reducing the deficit, it's about reducing the deficit in a particular way, the way the republican plan wants to reduce the deficit. that's why our republican

colleagues walked out of talks three times and have rejected the balanced approach and framework put forward by the president that says let's do $4 trillion in deficit reduction and delrs 3 trillion in spending cuts. and asking the folks at the very top to go back to the rates they were paying during the clinton administration. our republican colleagues rejected that approach to reducing the deficit because they don't want to end these tax breaks for the purpose of reducing the deficit. in fact, passed a piece of legislation just a week ago that says we are going to keep america from paying our bills unless we enact a constitutional amendment that makes it easier to cut medicare and social security than it does to cut special interests subsidies. a majority vote, but you need supermajority if you want to cut corporate tax breaks for the purpose of reducing the deficit.

that's what this is all about. this particular issue on the debt ceiling is a manufactured crisis. we have all heard when president reagan was president, raised it 17 times. this is a manufactured crisis in order to force and squeeze through a particular deficit reduction plan, a deficit reduction plan that would end the medicare guarantee, cut education, and yet protect the special interest tax breaks and breaks at the very top. if we want to be serious about the deficit, we need a balanced approach, but let's not hold the entire american economy hostage. let's not put us on five months to five months interest rate and credit worthyness watches in order to jam through a particular idea on deficit reduction. with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. ryan. mr. ryan: i yield myself one minute to respond. i enjoyed listening to the talking points but i don't think

they apply to this bill. rush and roulette, this is the second piece of legislation we brought to the floor to responsibly raise the debt limit while cutting spending. manufactured crisis, who went on television to scare senior citizens that their social security checks might be in doubt? the president of the united states. mr. speaker, the cuts in this bill were agreed to in a bipartisan group. the level of cuts in this bill are $2 billion off the senate majority leader's cuts in his bill. these were agreed to on a bipartisan basis. we're cutting spending, not as much as we want, but at least we're cutting spending. rush and roulette is not getting debt limit under control. this is scaring seniors into giving this country another

blank check and keep spending money we don't have. i yield two minutes to the the gentleman from new hampshire. mr. guinta: i rise to support the bill before us, the budget control act of 2011. mr. speaker, this is about leadership and ability and willingness of this body to do something right, not for partisan purposes but for spending reductions and for the country. i hear from the other side that they are concerned about this component and that component, but what i don't see is a plan and a solution. we have not put one, but two different proposals, the one i co-sponsored cut, cap and balance is the most appropriate way to move forward, but the senate has decided they don't want to take up that piece of legislation, so we are here to compromise and work with the other side of the aisle to